CECIL HURT: Saban shows patience in waiting to name starting QB

Published: Tuesday, August 19, 2014 at 10:51 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, August 19, 2014 at 11:03 p.m.

COMMENTARY

TUSCALOOSA — Sometimes the key to being decisive is knowing when the time is right to make a decision. For Nick Saban, that time will come later. Not now.

For some reason, many people felt the second scrimmage of fall camp would be the right time for some sort of announcement. That was the timetable at some schools. Texas A&M named a starter Saturday. Tennessee named one a couple of days ago. But Saban wasn't ready to make the call Saturday, and gave his reason: consistency.

Both of the contending quarterbacks, Blake Sims and Jake Coker, got equal time running the first offense. Neither did so at 100 percent efficiency. Saban used a word he has used a lot this month — “consistency” — and added another virtual synonym when he said the offense “never got into a rhythm” under either quarterback. He did note Sims, who has been at Alabama for four years, was “playing faster” than Coker. That isn't unexpected, given the experience level. But what we were left with was a wait-and-see.

This is, of course, exactly where we were last week. Not to be redundant, but the following points from last week's column haven't changed, although maybe it will help if they are given their own numbers:

1. There is no deadline for a decision. Saban doesn't have to decide today, if he is willing to keep dividing practice reps during game preparation. He seems perfectly willing to do so. Aug. 30 isn't a deadline either. Certainly, someone has to take the first snap, but that doesn't necessarily mean either candidate takes every snap. Without any disrespect to Alabama's first three opponents, there is a certain amount of schedule flexibility before the beginning of SEC play.

2. Every “expert” has an opinion. When an ESPN caravan comes to town (and it isn't just ESPN), no one is going to address a hot button question like a quarterback duel by saying “I don't know.” Even if no one really knows.

3. Some Alabama fans — not all — have been waiting 50 years for the next Namath, and some of those expect that prodigy to step full-blown onto the practice field and into Heisman Trophy contention. Yes, it can happen with a Johnny Manziel or a Jameis Winston (although both had redshirt years under their belt before starting.) But it doesn't happen often. Nonetheless, the lack of a coronation ceremony worries a decent-sized segment of the fan base.

4. There is no rule prohibiting Alabama from using two quarterbacks, for one game or 12.

Beyond that, scrimmages are scrimmages. Alabama released no passing statistics, but one can conclude from Saban's comments they weren't great.

The running game apparently struggled in the absence of three physical players on the line. That worries some people, even more than the quarterback quandary. No rushing statistics were released on the Yeldon/Drake/Henry triumvirate, just as there were no passing statistics, but that doesn't mean those three have forgotten how to run. They require blocking.

There is probably nobody in Alabama that would like to have a poised, experienced Tom Brady clone in camp more than Saban. But that isn't the current situation — so there is no reason not to continue the competition. The time for decisiveness will come — but even then, the decision might be to share.

Cecil Hurt is sports editor of the Tuscaloosa News. He can be reached at cecil@tidesports.com.

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